The footballer who shares the same name with one of the best clubs in the world of football, AC Milan, is also renowned for his extraordinary talent in the field. It’s Milan Badelj, a professional Croatian footballer who plays midfield for his national team. Here’s everything you need to know about him.
Biography of Milan Badelj
He was born on February 25, 1989 in Zagreb, SFRYugoslavia. Very early in his life, Milan was intrigued by the round leather game. He started playing ball when he was 3 years old. He wanted to join a club at age 5 but was considered too young as he was accepted the following year at Zagreb Football Club, Ponikve. His childhood idols were football icons Robert Prosinečki and Zinedine Zidane.
Career
At the age of 17 in 2007, he signed with DinamoZagreb after playing as a youth player at NK Zagreb. He played his first season of his senior career on loan with Dinamo affiliate Lokomotiva in a bid to gain first-team experience at senior level. While there he appeared in 28 games for the team and scored 7 goals in the Croatian Third League.
His rare talent was discovered in the short time that he Luka, who left the club in 2008 to join Tottenham Hotspur, was compared to Luka Modric. Therefore, Milan joined the club’s first team.
Having established himself as a key player, he played his first game for Dinamo Zagreb in Champions League qualifying against Northern Irish club Linfield and made his domestic debut in the season opener. 2008-09 against HNK Rijeka, where he scored the opening goal in a 2-1 win. The season ended with 31 domestic matches and 12 UEFA Cup matches. He was voted Croatian football hope of the year in 2009.
Milan Badelj continued with his form, establishing himself as a regular first-team player for the following seasons, and even commanding his side in some matches. He scored a goal in a 2-0 derby victory over rivals Hajduk Split in March 2011, and was part of Dinamo’s squad to reach the 2011 UEFA Champions League group stage. 12 for the first time in 12 years. The midfielder has played in all six of Dinamo’s group stage matches.
He joined German club Hamburger SV in August 2012 after his move to Dinamo for a fee of around €4.5m. In no time at all, he proved his form at the club and established himself as usual in the starting XI and a deep-lying playmaker. He scored his first Bundesliga game against Schalke in November 2012. After two years, Milan signed a contract worth 5 million euros with Fiorentina (Serie A). Following Davide Astoria’s passing in March 2018, he was given the honor of taking over as team captain.
Milan refused to renew his contract with the Italian club following the expiration of his contract in 2018. Other Italian clubs have shown interest in the player, including AC Milan, Lazio and Sevilla, but after the World Cup, however, he is set to join Russian soccer club Zenit St. Petersburg as a free agent.
International career
He joined their national team in 2010 when he was on the bench for most of their games. He made his debut in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Malta, scoring the second goal in a 3-1 victory on 2 September 2011. Milan were selected as one of 23 FIFA Cup finalists. Football World 2014 as well as the UEFA Euro. 2016
He was also selected in May 2018 as part of the squad to represent his country in the final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The midfielder netted his first goal of the match in a 2-1 win over Iceland, putting Croatia top of their group in the group stage. He made 3 appearances scoring 1 goal and 1 assist in the tournament. Even qualifying for the final, they lost 4-2 against France.
Milan Badelj family, relatives
Milan was born to parents who are florists and a mother who was instrumental in her football career. Her mother is Slavica Badelj and her father, Ratko Badelj. He has two siblings, a brother and a sister, and he is dating Martina, who studies at the Academy of Music in Zagreb.
Height, weight, measurements
The Croatian national is 1.86m tall and weighs 76kg. His other body measurements are unknown.